| Library / English Dictionary |
LEAVENING
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
An influence that works subtly to lighten or modify something
Example:
his sermons benefited from a leavening of humor
Synonyms:
leaven; leavening
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("leavening" is a kind of...):
imponderable (a factor whose effects cannot be accurately assessed)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A substance used to produce fermentation in dough or a liquid
Synonyms:
leaven; leavening
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("leavening" is a kind of...):
substance (a particular kind or species of matter with uniform properties)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "leavening"):
baking powder (any of various powdered mixtures used in baking as a substitute for yeast)
sourdough (a leaven of dough in which fermentation is active; used by pioneers for making bread)
barm; yeast (a commercial leavening agent containing yeast cells; used to raise the dough in making bread and for fermenting beer or whiskey)
II. (verb)
Sense 1
-ing form of the verb leaven
